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Super Simple Mexicali Salad

There is nothing that I love more than assembling salads on a Sunday to get ready for the week. This weekend I felt inspired by the fresh corn that was included in our weekly organic produce delivery. I absolutely LOVE corn…except for the fact that without fail, I almost always end up with it stuck between by teeth (yuck!). I think it’s fair to say it’s one of the least sexy foods to eat…except when it is in a salad!

I decided that a Mexicali salad was the perfect way to use some of this super sweet, super yummy corn and some other ingredients I had lying around our kitchen. It is super easy to make and to assemble.

1. First, I rinsed off the organic romaine (also included in the delivery from the farm..so crispy and fresh!) I’ll give it a good rinse before lying it between two dish towels to dry off. I only tear off what I know I’m going to eat…sometimes I like small side salads, or sometimes I’ll make a big bowl of salad as an entree.

2. After cooking the corn, I wait for it to cool off before using a sharp straight-edged knife to cut off the corn kernels. I love this part- no more worrying about the un-sexiness of eating corn after this step! The corn will usually come off in strips, as shown below, but it is super easy to break it up. For five days worth of salads, two ears of corn will do the trick.

3. It’s avocado time! Rather than adding cheese to my salad, which makes a Mexicali salad even more delightful, I add in avocado for some healthy fat. Avocado will brown quickly and nobody wants to eat browned avocado…so after dicing the avocado up I marinate it in the juice from one lime to preserve the bright green color. Since I’m an avocado lover, I use two for a week’s worth of salads.

4. Next up are the beans. I add black beans for extra protein (and fiber, too). I always empty a can of beans into a colander and rinse them thoroughly before adding to my salad. One can will do just fine!

5. Although it may seem a bit bare, I personally love using salsa as the “dressing” for this Mexicali salad (to be put on just before eating- otherwise the bottom parts of the salad will get soggy). It’s a super healthy, super flavorful alternative. In addition, for a non-vegan version of this salad, I’ll slice some Cayenne Chicken (recipe to come soon!) to put on top for even more protein and a little extra spice. Now comes the fun part…putting it all together! I layer the heaviest parts of the salad on the bottom, that way the lettuce stays crisp when I store it in my glass Frigoverre containers. The order I usually use is: beans, chicken, avocado, corn and then lettuce.